Warren
02-08-2007, 06:56 PM
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<div align="left">How do I view blood fractions and medical procedures involving my own blood?</div>
<div align="left">This is the title of a topic for discussion in the November 2006 Kingdom Ministry. I was disappointed to find out that the only thing pertaining to medical procedures involving one's own blood mentioned in the KM was a statement that JW's don't donate or store their own blood for transfusion. What was left out is that since the year 2000, JW's have been allowed to have medical procedures performed on them wherein some blood is removed from their body and later put back into them, so long as the procedure is part of a "current therapy". Most JW's I have discussed this with are unaware of this change in the Society's blood policy that was published in the October 15, 2000 Watchtower. Here is part of what it says:</div>
<div align="left">"There are also tests in which a quantity of blood is withdrawn in order to tag it or to mix it with medicine, whereupon it is put back into the patient.
The details may vary, and new procedures, treatments, and tests will certainly be developed. It is not our place to analyze each variation and render a decision. A Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be handled in the course of a surgical procedure, medical test, or current therapy. Ahead of time, he should obtain from the doctor or technician the facts about what might be done with his blood during the procedure. Then he must decide according to what his conscience permits."</div>
<div align="left">That was 6 years ago. How in the world did this important information get left out of a Kingdom Ministry that is discussing how JW's are to view medical procedures involving their own blood?</div>
The problem isn't just that important information is not being given to JW's but that the Society has never given an explanation for their blood policy change back in 2000. They need to answer this question:
If having blood injected into one's veins is the same as eating it then why isn't having blood completely removed from one's body and later injected back into one's veins the same as eating one's own blood?
The November Kingdom Ministry could have provided the answer but didn't. Could it be that the Society has no good answer? I sure can't think of one.
<div align="left">How do I view blood fractions and medical procedures involving my own blood?</div>
<div align="left">This is the title of a topic for discussion in the November 2006 Kingdom Ministry. I was disappointed to find out that the only thing pertaining to medical procedures involving one's own blood mentioned in the KM was a statement that JW's don't donate or store their own blood for transfusion. What was left out is that since the year 2000, JW's have been allowed to have medical procedures performed on them wherein some blood is removed from their body and later put back into them, so long as the procedure is part of a "current therapy". Most JW's I have discussed this with are unaware of this change in the Society's blood policy that was published in the October 15, 2000 Watchtower. Here is part of what it says:</div>
<div align="left">"There are also tests in which a quantity of blood is withdrawn in order to tag it or to mix it with medicine, whereupon it is put back into the patient.
The details may vary, and new procedures, treatments, and tests will certainly be developed. It is not our place to analyze each variation and render a decision. A Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be handled in the course of a surgical procedure, medical test, or current therapy. Ahead of time, he should obtain from the doctor or technician the facts about what might be done with his blood during the procedure. Then he must decide according to what his conscience permits."</div>
<div align="left">That was 6 years ago. How in the world did this important information get left out of a Kingdom Ministry that is discussing how JW's are to view medical procedures involving their own blood?</div>
The problem isn't just that important information is not being given to JW's but that the Society has never given an explanation for their blood policy change back in 2000. They need to answer this question:
If having blood injected into one's veins is the same as eating it then why isn't having blood completely removed from one's body and later injected back into one's veins the same as eating one's own blood?
The November Kingdom Ministry could have provided the answer but didn't. Could it be that the Society has no good answer? I sure can't think of one.